Australia
Military spending in Australia
Military spending in Australia: 2.88% of GDP in 1950 and 1.92% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 1.92% of GDP
- Since 1950
- −0.96 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 65 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 5.18% of GDP in 1952, the lowest 1.63% of GDP in 2013.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Australia |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.92 |
| 2024 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | 1.86 |
| 2022 | 1.88 |
| 2021 | 1.97 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1.87 |
| 2018 | 1.89 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2016 | 2.08 |
| 2015 | 1.95 |
| 2014 | 1.77 |
| 2013 | 1.63 |
| 2012 | 1.66 |
| 2011 | 1.75 |
| 2010 | 1.85 |
| 2009 | 1.92 |
| 2008 | 1.79 |
| 2007 | 1.81 |
| 2006 | 1.81 |
| 2005 | 1.79 |
| 2004 | 1.82 |
| 2003 | 1.84 |
| 2002 | 1.87 |
| 2001 | 1.86 |
| 2000 | 1.82 |
| 1999 | 1.88 |
| 1998 | 1.87 |
| 1997 | 1.86 |
| 1996 | 1.93 |
| 1995 | 2.02 |
| 1994 | 2.11 |
| 1993 | 2.17 |
| 1992 | 2.17 |
| 1991 | 2.16 |
| 1990 | 2.07 |
| 1989 | 2.05 |
| 1988 | 2.16 |
| 1987 | 2.37 |
| 1986 | 2.54 |
| 1985 | 2.52 |
| 1984 | 2.51 |
| 1983 | 2.52 |
| 1982 | 2.39 |
| 1981 | 2.3 |
| 1980 | 2.25 |
| 1979 | 2.19 |
| 1978 | 2.22 |
| 1977 | 2.25 |
| 1976 | 2.22 |
| 1975 | 2.27 |
| 1974 | 2.26 |
| 1973 | 2.38 |
| 1972 | 2.69 |
| 1971 | 2.76 |
| 1970 | 2.97 |
| 1969 | 3.39 |
| 1968 | 3.84 |
| 1967 | 3.79 |
| 1966 | 3.45 |
| 1965 | 2.95 |
| 1964 | 2.65 |
| 1963 | 2.45 |
| 1962 | 2.36 |
| 1961 | 2.42 |
| 1960 | 2.37 |
| 1959 | 3.1 |
| 1958 | 3.26 |
| 1957 | 3.32 |
| 1956 | 3.67 |
| 1955 | 3.86 |
| 1954 | 3.97 |
| 1953 | 4.8 |
| 1952 | 5.18 |
| 1951 | 3.74 |
| 1950 | 2.88 |
- Estimate
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia in numbers
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$35.3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$1,316 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel60,000 people in 2020
- National power0.6% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports826 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports108 million TIV in 2025